Otis T. Clark in U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,691 teaches a toe cap which is only suited for open toe shoes. This patent describes a toe cap that has a top portion with an extending flange which defines a shoulder about its inner periphery. This flange overlaps the forward edge of the vamp to properly close the joint and provide a suitable finish. These shoulder joints on the toe cap and on the out sole are covered by a flange and an insole respectively. Any gap in the juncture of the toe cap and outsole covered by the insole would bring discomfort to the wearer. These toe caps are secured by means of screws. This patent does not teach or show any gaps or breaches purposely formed in the butting face of the joints in the vamp touching part of the toe cap or in the shoulder joint of the outsole. Therefore this cap cannot provide expansion room for fitting all common sizes of shoes nor can it prevent buckling, binding or pulling apart during ambulation. In fact, U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,691 plainly states, that the recess formed by the shoulder of the outsole and covered by the insole be equal to the toe cap thickness at the bottom portion of the oval toe cap to prevent any discomfort to the wearer. This would also apply to any gap left between the outsole shoulder and the toe cap bottom. The patent specifically states that the insole extends over the juncture of the outsole shoulder and the bottom portion of the toe cap. Moreover it states that the flange on the toe cap shall overlap the forward edge of the vamp to properly close the joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,930 to Parlante describes shoes with interchangeable uppers for change to any desired style by attachment with a string of slide fastener elements such as a zipper. This type of veneer construction has only a small degree of flexibility. The lower section of the shoe veneer can fit only a few different sizes. At the extremes of these size ranges buckling and stretch distortions occur with the slightest flexing of the foot. In addition any stress applied to a zipper tends to bind the zipping or unzipping actions of the zipper. This is especially true under the flexing stress to fit different sizes and shapes of shoes because the path of the zipper makes sharper angles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,419,390 to Chertok an open toe shoe cap construction covers open toed shoes. This type of capping again is only possible on open toed shoes since the bottom member of the toe shoe cap construction and the toe capping element sandwich onto the vamp by penetrating the toe opening. This open toe cap type of overlay for open toed shoes is not capable of veneering any other type of shoe.
Attachment for footwear in U.S. Pat. No. 2,068,946 to Ferguson teaches a shoe provided with a single U-shaped cap made of this leather or other pliable material to conform and fit the contour of the shoe tip. This same cap has a vamp portion having rearwardly extending wings adapted to conform to the entire vamp of the shoe and extend nearly to the counter of the shoe. The cap is provided with sockets adapted to snap over studs for attachment. The location of these strategically placed studs is permanent so that there can be no size range for any one attachment.
I have found that shoe veneer sections can be held in place on the shoe by their own resilience. Also I have found that single dimensioned veneer sections can fit all common shoe sizes in either men's or women's shoes by using non-butting or non-touching gapped butt joints covered with top side laps or flanges to give a continuity to the shoe veneer. Finally the problems of the veneer sections buckling, binding or pulling apart during ambulation and stress cracking from repeated flexure are solved by my invention.
The first solution is based on veneers designed to fit with a space between the veneer sections. This space is located at their butting point between the joints to accommodate for size and shape differences and ambulation flexure. A flange is provided to give continous covering over these gaps.